Hero
by inkywings
Summary: To Zoro, Luffy deserves so much... much more the he can ever be. What Luffy needs is... a hero. Shounemai, ZoroxLufy, oneshot, song fic.


**KQ: Happy Digital Day!**

**(glitter confetti falls from the ceiling)**

**KQ: This one-shot is a gift for Digi cause it's her holiday. Why does she have her own holiday? Cause she's awesome and I decided to give her one. So READ ON!**

_Going Merry_

_I am so high, I can hear heaven..._

His eyes were shut lazily, letting the sea breeze blow against his face and wisp away the beads of sweat that came from a good day of training. Well, good night of training, more like it. The swordsman had been up all night, training with his katana. He didn't mind staying up all night. The exhaustion setting into his limbs from the rough exercising and the fatigue in his bones was, in his eyes, just a way of getting stronger. He needed to be stronger. He could never be strong enough. There was no limit.

_I am so high, I can hear heaven..._

Now he was leaning against the ship's mast, staring up into the sky. Into the heavens. And the heavens were looking right back at him in a swirl of burnt orange, blood red twisting like a river snake amongst its puffs of water vapor. It matched the pattern he saw in his eyes when they shut, until his thoughts drifted elsewhere... and elsewhere was never good for Zoro.

_Oh, but heaven, no heaven, don't hear me..._

His arms were aching, and he tried to put his mind elsewhere. Thinking about his pain led to the reason for the pain. And thinking about the reason for the pain just brought him more.

Zoro had been training all his life. All his life just for a promise to a friend. To be the worlds greatest swordsman. But a while ago... he had gotten a new reason for his training. Something he feared he could never reach.

_And they say that a hero can save us_

_I'm not gonna stand here and wait..._

Zoro used to be ruthless. Hell, he still was. He went to any lengths to make himself stronger. He swam in freezing water, sat for hours with boulders on out-stretched arms, fought beasts over twice his size without any weapon. It brought him one step closer to his goal, and yet... his goal was getting stronger too.

But something had made itself clear to Zoro. There was no way to reach his goal through strength. What he wanted could not be won by strength. What he wanted did not deserve that.

_I hold onto the wings of the eagles_

_Watch as we all fly away..._

Zoro still had a burning passion to become the world's best swordsman, but there was something else in his life now. Someone. And that someone didn't deserve Zoro... he deserved so much more.

Zoro was by all means no hero. He was far from it. And that was exactly what that someone should have. What Luffy deserved.

_Someone told me, love will not save us..._

_But how can that be_

_When look what love gave us..._

Zoro would do anything for his captain... anything. But that just didn't serve him justice. He could give Luffy all the love in the world, but Luffy didn't need that. Luffy needed the love of a hero, and Zoro just didn't have that. He had to work hard, he had to train hard. He had to be that man. He had to give Luffy what he needed... what Zoro needed. And he would go to any lengths to do that.

...but didn't that make him the same ruthless man he had started out as?

_A world full of killing_

_And blood spilling_

_That world never came..._

Damn it, this stuff was confusing!

Zoro hopped off the banister he was sitting on and picked up a katana in a swift fluid motion. He grabbed it's sheath and yanked, sliding the casing from the deadly blade that had seen hundreds of deaths, the blood permanently soaked within its interior no matter how many polishings it took. The sword that had slaughtered so many, all for a cause that Zoro wasn't even sure existed anymore.

_And they say that a hero can save us_

_I'm not gonna stand here and wait_

Zoro stared at the shiny silver steel. It was tinted red from the rumbling heavens above, a blue sheen on the bottom from the sea. And in the middle of it all was Zoro. The swordsman saw a hard, determined face staring back at him, eyes narrowed and a tight mouth. The eyes seemed to be glaring daggers at him. He did not want to see that face anymore.

_I'll hold onto the wings of the eagles_

_Watch as we all fly away..._

Then Zoro recognized the face as his own. The expression in the katana turned into one of amazement. The wrinkles in his forehead disappeared and his mouth didn't look like just one line. The flames in his eyes extinguished themselves as his heartbeat slowed. But it wasn't because of the reflection in the sword.

"Zoro?"

_Now that the world isn't ending_

_It's love that I'm sending to you..._

Zoro fought down the battling emotions inside of him until they were some what under control. He even managed a small smile. "Hey Luffy."

Luffy grinned cheerfully and hopped onto the railing, sitting down next to where Zoro was. He looked up at the sky. "Ha ha, it's so red!" he said. "It looks like meat before Sanji cooks it!"

Zoro sat down next to him, not saying anything. The smile he had managed to conjure had slid off of his face as he looked back up at the sky. Said sky almost looked like it was taunting him. Blood red. A pretty good summary of Zoro's past...

...and why Luffy didn't need him.

_It isn't the love of a hero_

_And that's why I fear it won't do..._

Seeing his first mate's sullen expression, Luffy leaned forward to get a better look of the swordsman's face. "Zoro, what's wrong?" he asked, no longer smiling.

"Nothing," Zoro responded gruffly. But Luffy didn't buy it.

Luffy sighed, leaning over on the other man's chest and smiling. "C'mon, Zoro, you know you can tell me anything!"

But Luffy's happy mood did nothing to soothe Zoro's. It just made him feel worse.

_And they say that a hero can save us_

_I'm not gonna stand here and wait..._

"It doesn't matter anymore," Zoro told him. "You wouldn't care."

Luffy was really frowning now. "I care!" he informed the green-haired male. "What's wrong with you?"

Everything, Zoro thought. But instead, he only said, "But you shouldn't." He shook his shoulders slightly, causing Luffy to move his head and give Zoro ample room to stand back up. Sliding off the banister, he looked down at the smaller teen. "You shouldn't be caring about me."

_I hold onto the wings of the eagles_

_Watch as we all fly away..._

"But I do care!" Luffy insisted, standing up himself. But Zoro was already walking away.

"Don't," Zoro said. It hurt. It hurt too badly, worse then any injury he had ever received. Those would heal, make him stronger. But this was tearing him up from the inside. He wasn't ready for this. Luffy deserved better.

Luffy just stood there, face straight. But he was confused. He had no idea what was going on. Zoro had been acting strange... but not this strange.

_And they're watching us_

_They're watching us_

_As well all fly away..._

"You need better," Zoro said, not looking back. He didn't need to. He couldn't bear to. "And you don't need me. I'm not... ready yet."

Since when had Zoro shown so little confidence in himself? It was hurting Luffy just as badly. What was Zoro talking about? This wasn't him, something was wrong. Or had Luffy done something? Everything was fine before. Was Luffy wrong? Had he done something wrong when he said... I love you?

_And they're watching us_

_They're watching us_

_As well all fly away..._

"Maybe some other time," Zoro promised. "But now... you need someone else. I can't be with you... I'm sorry."

_They're watching us..._

Zoro finally began to walk away, never letting Luffy see his face. Maybe someday he would go back. Maybe someday things could go back to the way they were. But not until Zoro was ready. Luffy didn't need him like this. Zoro had to be ready. Luffy needed a hero... and that wasn't what Zoro was.

_They're watching us..._

Luffy stood there, watching the retreating swordsman, He felt the breeze get colder around his eyes, and slowly a drip of the cold fell down his cheek. The salty tears did not go well with Luffy's face, and neither did the crying. All he could do was watch as Zoro walked away. Away from him.

_As we all fly away!_

**KQ: There's so much irony in this I could write a poem. You didn't think they were together in the beginning, but they were. And you expected them to be together in the end, like in all my stories, but they broke up .**

**Readers: (hiss)**

**KQ:...I hate it too . So that's why I'm making a sequel. Something I already have planned out! WOOT! Review me please or you will never see what happens to our two favorite pirates!**


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